Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium Trade Management Plan*

36 Pages·2009·2.26 MB·English

VANUATU NATIONAL
MARINE AQUARIUM TRADE
MANAGEMENT PLAN

VANUATU NATIONAL
MARINE ApQrodUucAed Rby tIhUe M TRADE
Vanuatu Department of Fisheries
MANAGEMENT PLAN
May 2008
© Copyright Vanuatu Department of Fisheries 2009
All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved.
The Vanuatu Department of Fisheries authorises the partial reproduction or translation of this
material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that the Vanuatu Department of
Fisheries and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce
the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for
profit or non-profit purposes, must be requested in writing.
Original text: English
Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data
Vanuatu national marine aquarium trade management plan / Produced by the Vanuatu
Department of Fisheries
1. Ornamental fish trade — Vanuatu — Planning. 2. Coral industry and trade — Vanuatu —
Planning. 3. Fishery management — Vanuatu — Planning.
I. Title. II. Vanuatu Department of Fisheries.
333.95099595 AACR2
ISBN: 978-982-00-0327-9
This plan was produced by the Vanuatu Department of Fisheries,
with technical and financial assistance from the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
Appreciation is extended to other government agencies, NGOs and private sector
companies in Vanuatu who contributed to the formulation of this document.
Prepared for publication and printed at SPC Headquarters
Noumea, New Caledonia, 2009
Cover design: Jipé LeBars – Layout: Youngmi Choi
Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium Trade Management Plan
APPROVAL OF
THE NATIONAL MARINE AQUARIUM
The Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium Trade Management Plan is made in accordance with
Part 2, Section 3 of the TFiRshAerDiesE A Mct, NAoN. 5A5 GofE 2M00E5.NT PLAN
By virtue of powers conferred upon the Minister for Fisheries, under Section 2(2) of the
Fisheries Act, No. 55 of 2005, I hereby give notice of the Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium
Trade Management Plan 2008.
COMMENCEMENT DATE
This notice commences on the date on which it is approved by the Minister, according to
Section 3(5) of the Fisheries Act, No. 55 of 2005.
Made at Port Vila this…………. .…… day of …………………… 2008
…………………………………………
Honourable Donna Brownie
Minister Responsible for Fisheries)

Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium Trade Management Plan
Definitions vii
Citation vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Commencement viii
Application viii
1. Description of the Marine Aquarium Trade Fishery 1
2. Precautionary approach 4
3 Management measures 4
3.1 Limitations 4
3.2 Quota allocation 4
3.3 Licensing 5
3.4 Fishing methods and collection practices 5
3.5 Prohibitions 6
3.6 Facilities and husbandry 6
3.7 Employment of foreign workers 7
3.8 Use of underwater breathing apparatus (UBA) 7
3.9 Areas of operation (Access agreements) 7
3.10 Conservation 8
3.11 Reporting 8
3.12 Observers 9
4. Monitoring 9
5. Training 10
6. Amendments 10
7. Research 10
Schedules to the management plan
I. Fishing license form 15
II. Fish export processing establishment license 17
III. Local collection permit 19
IVA. Reef owner contract(ROC)/Access agreement 20
IVB. Approval form 23
V. Underwater breathing apparatus fishing license 24
v

Vanuatu National Marine Aquarium Trade Management Plan
In this Plan, the following terms shall, unless the context otherwise admits or requires, have
the following meanings:
DEFINITIONS
“Act” means the Fisheries Act, No. 55 of 2005 as amended from time to time.
“Area management guidelines” means fishery management guidelines that shall be enforced
for the specific fishery management area.
“Fishery management area” means the specific area, with boundaries clearly demarcated, in
which the fishery is to operate.
“Closed area” means specific areas where no fishing shall take place. This may include
tourist dive sites, sites of archaeological importance, established reserves, parks, sanctuaries
or community managed areas.
“Base station” means the land area where the company holding facility is located.
“Ornamentals” is used interchangeably with “aquarium” and has the same meaning as
aquarium fish, corals, rocks and invertebrates.
“Buyer” means all purchasers of marine aquarium organisms at any stage of the chain of
custody e.g. middleman/woman, exporter, transshipper, retailer or consumer.
“Collector(s)” means an individual or individuals engaged in removing marine aquarium
organisms from their natural habitat for commercial purposes.
“Traditional fishing right owner” means an individual, family or clan who is known or
recognised by the village community as an owner of traditional rights to fish in a reef or an
area by tradition.
“Company collection permit” means a special aquarium collection permit, especially for
local ni-Vanuatu wishing to collect, buy or gather products for sale to the export company.
Such a permit shall be owned by a company but issued by the Vanuatu Department of
Fisheries.

The Vanuatu Marine Aquarium Fishery Management Plan shall be cited throughout this report
as the Plan”. The Plan shall cover all aspects of fishing, transporting, holding, processing and
CexIpToArTtinIOg Nof marine ornamental fish, invertebrates, live rock, live corals, giant clams and
associated products in Vanuatu.
vii
This Plan shall take effect upon approval by the Minister of Agriculture, Quarantine, Forestry
and Fisheries, and publication in the National Gazette.
COMMENCEMENT
1) This Plan applies to the managed fishery relating to the species of fish, invertebrates,
corals (dead or live), giant clams and other related organisms known as marine
APPaLqICuaArTiuImO Nproducts.
2) This Plan applies to all activities under the definition of “fishing” as defined in the
Fisheries Act, No. 55 of 2005, including netting, scuba diving, snorkelling, collect-
ing, using cages and traps, storage and handling of caught fish, and transporting live
aquarium species.

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